Stephen Colbert Tackles the Dartmouth Football Dummy

October 9, 2015by Office of Communications

Dartmouth’s Mobile Virtual Player (MVP) robotic tackling dummy took to the stage—not the gridiron—in its television debut on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The popular television host donned a Big Green football helmet and pads and tackled the dummy on the Oct. 8 show after an interview with Head Football Coach Buddy Teevens ’79 and Elliot Kastner ’13, Thayer ’14.

Developed jointly by Thayer School of Engineering and Teevens, the Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach, the MVP has the potential to reduce injuries on the practice field.

Teevens told Colbert that Dartmouth football players have reduced their injuries by 80 percent by not tackling each other in practices. Instead, they tackle the dummy.